Elfenmärchen
by angel puppeteer
Summary: SasuSaku. NaruSaku. Waiting is everything. "I can wait. Can you?" /CONSTRUCTION GOING ON.
1. Sakura

**.Sakura**

It suddenly rained that day.

Earlier, the weather had been nice and warm. There were massive fluffy clouds and cerulean skies. Villagers enjoyed the clear sky and sunshine. But night came and it began to rain. Puzzled at the sudden change, villagers looked outside their windows, comfortable at the warmth provided by their pillows, sofas and pillows.

However, in front of the large gates of Konohagakure, a girl stood in the rain

(sound of pouring rain is _so sad…_)

unprotected. Deliberately, she left her umbrella.

Her thin body shuddered under the onslaught of icy raindrops.

_And I thought…_ her pink hair covered the upper half of her pale face, hiding her eyes._ Naruto would understand._

As she lifted her face, her eyes came in view with raindrops hanging from her long thin lashes. They blinked slowly and the drops broke and rolled. Briefly, she closed her eyes and suppressed a sneeze.

(but the sneeze came anyway,)

and she covered her nose as she did.

She sighed, pulling at her bangs.

The shade of her thick pink hair became darker, sticking together as rain soaked the locks. She lifted a pale hand —trembling and small— to brush the hair off her eyes. In closer inspection, her skin was covered in goosebumps.

Pitiful. (yes, yes…) Against the fierce winds, her body swayed and shuddered. They lashed at her angrily, like whips, hitting her in shaking intensity. Blinking rapidly, she tried to stare up to the grieving sky.

_Such a lonely day to leave…_

Uncalled, tears gathered in the corner of her eyes. Sensing them, the girl held her breath as if in holding her breath would help her stop the tears. But the tears came, anyway. And as they flowed, they mingled with rain. She remained looking up, trying to find a sliver of hope up there but she saw nothing. Nothing but the rain.

Falling and falling and falling (forever? maybe, like the air? Maybe…)

and falling and falling—

Finally, she looked down and wiped her eyes. Her body gave a violent shiver and she realized… It was a cruel day, cruel weather, cruel, _cruel_ world— not even stopping from spinning, uncaring for individual intentions. It never stopped to slow down, to care… to stop spinning round and _round, round._ The world would not stop for _her._ Slow down… _for me. _But she stood on her ground, refusing to look back and return to the warm comfort of her apartment.

_I can do this! _She mentally made a fist. _I can… DO THIS! I can live on my own. I can live far away from Konoha._

She bit her lower lip. _I won't back out… _

Determinedly,she bit back a sob, clenching her trembling fists. She refused to acknowledge that, yet again… tears appeared, rolled down and lingered at her chin. Another bead followed. Another… and another, until they became unstoppable.

"Stop." She whispered, wiping her face.

_I'll be stronger for myself… I will survive._

With that resolve, she put a hand on the gate and began to push. The gap was enough for her body to come through. One step and she will be out of Konoha. One more, and she's free… two more and she's… out of that life. Out of _his _life.

Like he wanted.

She paused to contemplate.

_No._

She made one more step.

_I can—_

And—

"Sakura."

She stopped in mid-step.

"Where are you going?"

Her breath caught and froze.

_Why now?_

Her grip on her resolve tightened.

But suddenly, he asked.

"Are you running away from me?"

The grip trembled. And almost crumble…

_Don't fret!_

She swallowed painfully, looked over her shoulder with her chin lifted defiantly.

"No." She tried to sound casual. She even tried to smile which failed. Her jaw was trembling.

"Then, where are you going?"

She shrugged. Oh, how hard it was to pretend. She cannot trust her throat to work and say coherent things. She feared that something might come out and injure her brittle pride. But she endured and strengthened her resolve.

"Somewhere…"

"Were you ordered to go?"

She swallowed first. "No."

"Sakura."

The way he say her name confused her. A feeling of painful sadness consumed her. Wet lashes lowered over green irises as she spoke softly. "I have to go."

Something went wrong. Because she faltered. Because he touched _her_.

(splash)

Her bag fell from her grasp.

Her composure shook and eventually crumbled.

"_DON'T TOUCH ME_!" she shrieked and staggered back clumsily. Her defenses were shattered and her tears were exposed to him.

Great. His expression did not even shift, move… or whatnot. _So cruel._ This person had the cruel ability to hurt her without even trying.

"Sakura…"

She lifted a hand, palm facing him as he stepped forward. "Stop. Please." She whispered.

Sasuke stopped, looking at her grimly.

"Where are you going?" when she did not reply, the boy exhaled sharply. "It's late. And cold. Go home."

Pause.

"We have a mission tomorrow. Don't get sick. The team requires a medic-nin."

She bit her lip and reached down to her duffel. Turning to the gap between the enormous gates, she chose to say quiet. Behind her Sasuke scowled. "Sakura—"

"I'm leaving."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

She shrugged. Outside, she was fast becoming composed. However, inside… she was melting. Like a candle. Pain can really change people. However, she promised herself, _I'd keep smiling._ Not for him, but _for myself._

"Nothing that concerns you."

A hand in a seal lifted.

"Sakura— no, _wait_."

Her eyes flinched when he grabbed her hand with both of his. The feel of his skin startled her. Unknowingly, she recoiled at the contact, visibly wincing.

"Sasuke-san," she forced out, "go home."

"I have to tell you something."

She shook her head; wet short wavy bangs covered her one eye. "No. I have to go…"

The grip on her hands tightened. "Sakura, this is important."

Her resolve… what happened to her resolve? Squaring her shoulders, she looked at him straight in the eye and hardened her face. "I don't care! Let me go!" she tugged at her hand but Sasuke did not let go.

"Sakura, if you really want to leave. I won't stop you."

"Then, why are you here?" She made a big mistake. She looked at his face. His expression was hard, grave. A squeezing pain numbed her heart, twisted her gut and again, a feeling of intense loneliness filled her being. It was…painful.

She tried to ignored it.

Sasuke frowned, then sighed.

"I have to tell you something."

"Sasuke-san…"

A flicker of anger flashed in his eyes. "Don't call me _that_."

"Leave me alone!" she demanded, pulling her hand. "Let… GO!"

"Not until you hear me out."

"You are _so_ selfish! Cannot you tell that I don't want to listen?!" she managed to free her hand and hurriedly turned to face the gates. Sasuke grabbed her shoulder and forced her to face him.

"Damn it! This is important!" he had yelled, shocking her.

She backed away slowly. Sasuke never yelled at her even when she's at her best of annoying him. "I told you… I don't care."

He sighed, almost frustrated. "You're… annoying."

Her eyes cringed and almost automatically, tears gathered shamelessly. She lowered her lids slowly and a minute of soulful silence passed between the two.

"…goodbye." Her voice came soft, so soft… that she doubted he heard her.

He did, because his grip on her shoulder tightened, his fingers digging onto the flesh of her shoulder, "Why don't you even listen to me?"

"Sasuke…"

Tears cascaded. With every second ticking by, the tears fell harder and faster, just like the downpour.

"Sakura! Listen to _me_—"

She lifted her face and smiled tearfully.

"I can't stay."

Her vision was blurred by tears that she cannot see his face anymore. And maybe, she chose to be blinded just for a moment.

"I can't stay… not anymore."

"Sakura."

"I'm sorry."

She blinked and her vision cleared.

Handsome face, a pale beauty. Dark eyes, dark wet hair. An unforgettable face… a face that she will never forget.

"Thank you."

_Poof._

Silence.

And then, Sasuke's voice.

"SAKURA!"

-

-

_You said you love me_

_Need me_

_Want me_

_Then…_

…_wait for me._

_I'll be back_

_Someday you'll see_

_Just…hold on._

_As long as we breathe the same air_

_Under the same sky_

_Under the clouds of our dreams_

_Hold on._

_Don't let go._

-

-

_7 years later._

A young woman with long pink hair stood in front of the two-door gate of Konohagakure. She was looking up wistfully, a soft smile on her face. The wind toyed with pink strands, lifting them in the air sideways, slightly covering her eyes. For a moment, she looked like a mirage with her flowing pink hair that looked like strings of cherry petals.

"Welcome home…" She cleared the locks off her eyes with a soft jerk of her chin. Green eyes— a startling shade that contrasted with the darkness of her thick lashes— flickered. "…to myself."

It was spring and as expected, Konohagakure was very green and leafy. As she steeped into the village, startling two ninjas on duty at the gate, she looked around and started to grin. It had not changed in years. If it did, the infrastructures were better and some buildings had sprouted out from the ground previously vacant. Homesick, she began to walk around, stopping only to watch children play tag in the parks, lavishly decorated with enormous Sakura trees, see-saws and swings. The surrounding air was littered with petals and leaves.

"Hey! Excuse me!" a voice called out.

She turned to her right.

Soccer ball met her stomach.

_Oh…!_

With a gasp, she doubled up. Pink hair tumbled forward, covering her face. _I'm a Jounin, a topnotch illusionist and hey, I can punch like some demented rhinoceros! But I got hit by a soccer ball. What a shame…_ she thought with a sigh. _My skills are deteriorating?_

"_Oh no! _Gomen nasai! GOMEN NASAI, MISS!" a female high-pitched voice said.

She heard frantic running footsteps toward her.

"What happened?" a deep baritone voice asked.

There was a squeal. "Otou-san, I hit her with my soccer ball…" the little voice said sadly.

"What?" She heard the girl's father sighed. "Excuse me, are you—" the voice stopped abruptly.

"I'm fine." She said with a shrug, rubbing her stomach. Her hair was over her face, only her mouth was visible under the locks of pink. "I'm clumsy sometimes… so, it's okay."

Pink hair.

Musical voice.

The little girl stepped forward to her. "Miss, I'm really so sorry—"

"It's okay!" She looked down to the girl's face and smiled. _So cute…_ The little girl had chin-length straight dark hair with even bangs and large blue eyes. "Stop looking so worried." She gave a grin and tapped the little girl's head. The girl blushed and smiled shyly. "It's an accident. And—" she looked up to reassure the girl's father that it was alright but her voice died in her throat.

Green eyes met black.

She felt her stomach clench.

"Sa—Sasuke…?"

Uchiha Sasuke, in all his glory, stood in front of her. Back then, seven years ago, he was already tall and intimidating. His frightening character doubled, and his beauty… his dark, porcelain perfection remained imposing.

As usual, his expression was grave. And for a moment, she was frightened that he was going to hit her. Unconsciously, she was backing away. Their last encounter was not very pretty. If she remembered it correctly, she had run away from him, vanishing in front of him into thin air while he told her to stay for he had something IMPORTANT to say.

But she did not listen. Looking closer, it looked like he remembered it too.

He cleared his throat, "Hn." he said flatly.

"…"

"You're…" he paused and frowned. Another clearing of throat. "You came back." His voice was deep, almost a rumble to her ears.

He shrugged faintly. "After seven years."

She forced a smile. The lump on her throat, she ignored. "Yes…" she said softly.

The little girl tugged at his sleeve. "Otou-san, you know her?"

Her eyes widened slightly. _Otou-san…?_

Sasuke looked somber. "Yes."

The dak-haired girl turned to her. "Are you friends with Otou-san?"

Briefly, she looked at him then back to the little girl. "Yes. We were teammates back when we were Genins."

"Wow! Amazing! So my father has a very pretty friend!"

The breeze pushed a thick lock of hair on her face. She scratched her cheek. "Oh, thanks…" she chuckled, a flush coloring her pale cheeks.

The little girl continued to gaze up at her in admiration. "Wow, you're so beautiful! You're beautiful just like my father."

She gave an uncomfortable smile.

"…_just like my father…"_

Again, she ignored the painful twinge on her chest.

"And your hair, so wow! It is really pink… like Cherry Blossoms!" the child turned to her father. "Ooh, Father, she's very beautiful, like your favorite tree! A beautiful Cherry Blossoms…"

She stared and mechanically looked up to Sasuke who watched Cherry Blossoms from the distance. Confusion occupied her face. Sasuke's favorite tree was a Cherry Blossoms? Strange… but then, she knew _so _little about him. He was the type of person who kept to himself, with massive walls around him, pushing her away, pushing _them_ away.

But of all the trees he could like the best, why this particular tree which she was named after?

She cleared her throat. "Your… daughter_,_" slowly, his grave dark eyes shifted toward her and she felt her heart jerked. She swallowed hard and tried to smile in a way as if there was nothing sort of affinity between them. "…is a flatterer."

Sasuke looked away and snorted softly, "Hn."

She looked down to the grinning little girl. "What's your name, little miss?"

The girl smiled and looked up to her stoic father.

"I was named after my father's first and only love."

Uchiha remained silent, choosing to watch pink petals fall from a nearby tree. The little girl returned her gaze to the woman, gave her a big smile and said,

"Pleased to meet you! I am Sakura!"

-

-


	2. Naruto

**.Naruto**

**-**

**-**

_Lies_

_Barriers_

_Fantasy_

_Not reality_

_Can you feel it?_

_The harmony between us_

_Breaking_

_Breaking_

_Love's like that_

_Only Heaven knows that_

_Only Hell will take us apart_

_But Love's like that_

_Only Heaven knows that_

_-_

_-_

Her voice had always been beautiful. Even while she cried.

"Naruto…"

He refused to look at her, fearing that his resolve might crumble. When she blew her nose, he did not know what happened but he looked at her. Her pale face was wet with tears and her eyes were swollen.

"I thought _you'd_ understand." she said softly.

"No." he scoffed coldly, looking away stiffly.

He glowered, pointedly ignoring her sniffs. "I thought you'd _always_ understand." Sakura pointed out miserably.

"I don't understand. I don't understand _you_ at all." He did not see how his words broke her heart. But he _felt _it. He ignored his own pain. It can wait. He can endure it. He had endured _for years._ This moment, this _pain_… was just one of those many years and moments of pain.

"Naruto!" she clutched at his sleeve, like a pitiful child. He felt his heart cracked, his throat clogged but he refused to give up.

"_Please._"

"Why?" he asked coldly, finally glancing at her.

She responded with a sob.

He snapped.

"WHY SAKURA!" he never yelled at her and he regretted doing so for she shrank away from him, frightened. Fresh tears rolled down from her eyes, her bottom lip between her teeth.

He rubbed his face with his palms. "You always cry." He said in a low voice. Bile rose and he cursed himself. He wished he was somewhere else. He wished he was someone else.

"Naruto…" her soft voice sounded like lullaby. It was soothing in a way that he wanted to close his eyes and fall in a deep dreamless slumber.

"I'm not your little Sakura-chan anymore. This is the present _me._ What you always wished for me… what you always like doing for me… all of them, they're in the _past._ This is the present. I… I… want to build my own future."

"A future without me."

Sakura sobbed.

"Without Kakashi."

She buried her face in her palms.

"Without…HIM." He had said the last words with great difficulty. With contempt.

And she burst into new wave of tears.

"Why? Are you really this desperate? Do you really want to live all by yourself? What do you want to prove, that you don't need _us_ anymore?" he pointed out furiously.

Sakura gasped, lifting her face from her palms. "No… no, Naruto, believe me! It's not true!"

He turned to face her, a contemptuous scowl on his face.

"You've grown arrogant, Sakura! Just because of your power, you thought you can live on your own! What is your problem!" he spat. He saw Sakura grew pale at his harsh words.

She was trembling, he saw but he _chose _to ignore. "Naruto, it— it isn't true! I'm not … I'm not_ arrogant_!"

"Then, tell me!"

Sakura was silent, wide-eyed. Then, "I can't."

He glared and stepped in front of the door of her apartment, blocking her way out. "Then, you can't go."

Sakura gasped. "But… Naruto! Please, try to—"

He summoned all his will power to stop himself from shouting at her. And from hurting her. "How the hell do you think can I understand YOU if you don't talk to me, if you don't tell me WHY?"

Her trembling worsened.

"If you don't want to tell me, then don't. Stay here. And don't do something stupid." He snarled viciously.

Her hands trembled. "Naruto, stop doing this! Stop, STOP!" she said shrilly, shaking her head, her hair swaying gracefully from side to side.

"Stop what?" he snapped.

Sakura sobbed and again he felt a terrible twinge of pain. _God, was I really this desperate? What's wrong with me?_

"Stop caring."

He clenched his fist and punched the wall which cracked. Sakura jumped in shock and looked at him, horrified.

"Yes. And damn _you_."

She never looked this pitiful. For some reason, her tears annoyed him, making him guiltier and his pain to intensify alarmingly. His heart burst with painful sadness.

"_STOP CRYING, DAMN IT!"_

Sakura jumped and trembled, her green eyes wide in fear. God… the _pain._ He spun around and bit his lip.

_This pain._

Damn it.

He was sinking. Drowning. The pain was… everywhere. Blinding, white-hot. Suddenly, he was consumed with a desire to cry.

"If you—" she gulped down her sobs, "care about me— then you'd understand why… why I have… to go."

"Is this about Sasuke?" he asked in a cold hollow voice. He heard a sharp intake of breath. He cursed vehemently under his breath. He rubbed his face, because he thought by doing so, he'd be able to keep the tears at bay. "I knew it."

"Naruto—"

"You're a cruel girl, aren't you?"

"…"

"You don't understand other people's feelings."

He clenched his fists. "What a cruel… girl."

"Naruto…"

He faced her, snarling. "I don't understand you. I don't understand why you have to do stupid things for… that bastard." Blue eyes narrowed disdainfully. "I…I really don't understand you at all." He hissed angrily.

"Oh, Naruto, I thought…I always thought you'd understand."

He snorted. "I don't understand! You make the stupidest things!"

Sakura's green eyes flinched, her expression turned frigid as if he hurt her physically. Then, she looked to the side, her hair, falling across her cheeks.

A few minutes of silence passed. He refused looking at her. It hurt so much to look at her. And he didn't know why.

He heard her hoist up her bag. Outside, it began to rain.

"You're right."

He frowned.

"You don't understand. Because I'm _just_ your crush."

Startled, he turned to look at her.

"Sakura—"

Her green eyes were flashing now, even though there were fresh tears cascading down her pale cheeks. "Don't try to stop me, Naruto, because you DON'T UNDERSTAND what I feel. In fact, you don't have the right to interfere."

"Sakura-_chan_—"

"Don't call me Sakura-chan!" Sakura shrieked.

His drew away suddenly.

"You don't know what I feel. You don't know how it hurts. You don't have any idea what KIND of pain I've been through because…" Sakura looked confused for a while, her eyes shifting. "Because… because… -I'm just your crush. _You don't love me_, Naruto… It's _just_ infatuation…"

"No… Sakura-chan…" he tried to reach for her. She shook her head in despair.

"I'm tired, Naruto. I'm _so_ tired."

There was something in her voice that made his knees weak. And then, she smiled. A beautiful, sorrowful smile. And his heart broke, his defenses crumbled, his arms fell beside him like lead and he slouched, suddenly weak.

When Sakura walked past him, he did not stop her.

"Goodbye, Naruto."

-

-

7 years later.

It was spring. The cherry blossoms bloomed. He paused in mid-step when a lone pink petal drifted before his eyes.

_Sakura-chan._

"I'm tired, Naruto. I'm _so_ tired."

He lifted his palm and caught the falling petal.

His heart started to throb painfully. _So… tired. _

I'm tired.

I'm… _so _tired.

"Sakura-chan."

_Where are you?_ He let the petal fall between the gaps of his fingers. _Where did you go? Are you… _the possibility was endless, _alive? _He ignored the question. _Are you going to return?_

Cerulean eyes looked up to the sky, hidden by high and thick branches of an old cherry blossom tree. Flood of regrets consumed him. What if he tried to understand her seven years ago, would she stay? What if he pretended that he understood her, would she stay?

What can a man like him do to make someone like her stay?

"_I thought __you'd__ understand." _

What if…

"_I thought you'd __always__ understand."_

Why did she think he understood her?

He blinked as a fine drizzle of pink petals fell. There were few which adhered to his skin, stuck-up hair and clothes. The wind blew harshly suddenly, making a rush of pink petals. For a moment, he saw a mirage of her, standing with her back on him.

"Sakura-chan…"

"_You're right."_

"_You don't understand. Because I'm __just__ your crush."_

He closed his eyes. The memories sounded so real as if she was standing close to him. He remembered the way she smiled. He remembered the way she laughed. He remembered the way she cried. He remembered how her voice sounded. The blend of her voice as she yelled. And the sad, little smile she gave him the day she left.

_You don't love me, Naruto… _

Slowly, his lids fluttered open.

"_I'm tired, Naruto. I'm so tired."_

"Me too, me too, Sakura-chan."

"_You don't know what I feel. You don't know how it hurts. You don't have any idea what KIND of pain I've been through because…" _

"You too, you don't know what I feel. You don't have any idea what kind of pain I've been through."

"_Because… because… -I'm just your crush. __You don't love me__, Naruto… It's __just__ infatuation…"_

"You too."

The wind calmed down.

_You don't love me, Naruto… _

"You don't love me too."

After all, it was just a crush.

And yet, that time, he was desperate enough to cry. To beg. Anything. Just to make her stay.

_I wanted us to live together. For a very long time…_

Together. For a long time. Making memories, having fun, suffer together, fight together, cry together, heal each other, and love each other—

He stiffened.

"Sa—Sasuke…?"

Blue eyes widened. At once, his senses sharpened. _This… chakra!_ His gaze cleared and a frown wrinkled his forehead. _My mind… is playing tricks, right?_ The mirage was… _I missed her. I thought of her everyday. I'm just a desperate boy who was desperate for—_

And yet, her voice sounded real. The chakra was real.

"Sakura-chan…" he was walking faster. Then, he was running. "_Sakura-chan_!" the three people spun around to face him.

When she looked at him, he felt his world spun.

Then, when she blinked, the world stilled.

He stopped, frowning heavily. Around them, the world had stopped. He was looking at her, Sasuke looked at him and Sakura was… looking at—

_me._

He opened his mouth to speak.

Sakura smiled.

And again, just like the last time, his heart broke, his defenses crumbled, his arms fell beside him like lead and he slouched, suddenly weak.

When Sakura spoke his name, he realized.

It felt like a powerful, chakra-filled punch in the gut. A stabbing pain somewhere. He did not know where the pain began and where it ended. He even did not know where it hurt. It was just there. _Somewhere._ And everywhere.

"_I thought __you'd__ understand." _

Do you understand now? –a small voice asked.

"_I thought you'd __always__ understand."_

No. No… _no._ Why? Why does it have to be _now_?

I thought you understand.

I thought we share the same pain.

I thought we share the same sadness.

I thought you understand my pain.

_She wanted to tell me those things._

After all—

_I wanted us to live together. For a very long time…_

Together. For a long time. Making memories, having fun, suffer together, fight together, cry together, heal each other, and love each other—

He clenched his fist.

_Together._

Now he understood why Sakura _thought_ he'd understand.

"_I thought you'd understand."_

…It was only a thought.

A fantasy.

A lie to fool his heart.

A barrier that separated him from reality.

It wasn't _just _a crush.

And Sakura knew it. She thought, believed and hoped.

Do you love me… _Naruto?_

He failed to tell her. He forgot— _so deliberately_— to tell her. He chose not to tell her. He _never_ told her.

He crushed the only _thing_ she ever believed in. now he _understood_ what that smile meant, that beautiful, sorrowful smile…

_Oh, Naruto… I thought you loved me._

-

-


	3. Sasuke

**.Sasuke**

Rain fell in sheets around Konoha.

When he lifted his face, under the black locks, he saw her.

_Sakura._

Thin, shuddering, soaked. He could recognize her everywhere. Who could not have? It was she who alone possessed a florid shade of hair. That astounding hair color. However, this time, the locks were wet, a darker shade of pink. They were down to her nape like a thick sheet of pink. His eyes darkened in annoyance. _Stupid girl_. No umbrella, no cloak, no hood. She loved attention, didn't she?

Lowering his lids, he grunted. He found himself walking toward her, his footsteps were quiet. The sandals he wore sloshed the murky rain puddles as he advanced. As he held the umbrella aloft, he saw Sakura lift her head slightly, not looking up but tilted her head in a listening gesture.

He held the umbrella higher and shielded her against the fat rapid drops. Sakura stiffened. Imperceptibly, he shook his head.

"Sakura."

The girl didn't lift her chin, her eyes downcast and half-lidded. His forehead creased as he surveyed her appearance. Sakura wore black Capri pants that went down past her knees, red sleeveless shirt and black sandals. In closer inspection, the fine hairs on her bare arms were standing up in a shiver, making goosepimples. Her hand carried white duffel; her wet long fingers were loose around the straps. She looked shorter with her slouched posture and bent head. Thick collarbone-length layered wet hair obscured most of her face. For a moment, he was consumed with a sudden urge to part the hair to reveal her face. However, he restrained himself. After all, being an _Uchiha, _he was taught with perfect emotional control. His lips twisted in disgust, dismissing the urge.

_Pathetic._

"Sakura, what are you up to?" his voice, even to his eras, sounded cold.

"I…I…"

"Do you need attention?" he drawled, his voice laced with growling quality. Another stiffening of her spine. His dark gaze strayed to her pale lips. Upper teeth bit down to the bottom lip, a bead of rainwater rolled to her chin.

Briefly, he closed his eyes.

"It's raining." He added, shifting his gaze, watching the silhouettes made by the raindrops against the fabric of the umbrella. "You should not stay out in the rain."

He was, at least, curious by her silence. Sakura was a free spirited girl who loved to talk ceaselessly. She laughed at the silliest things, she cried over the stupidest things. This girl was an enigma. A creature that was capable of emotions, a person who had the largest emotional bank account.

Sakura should not be quiet.

It was the oddest miracle.

"Go home." He heard himself say, staring forward, his expression passive as ever. "We have a mission. Don't be late." It must be his imagination but she cringed.

And that didn't matter. Never. Sakura_ never_ mattered.

"Yes." Her voice was thin, almost broken. But as always, he dismissed it.

"Go."

For a longest moment, Sakura didn't move. Slowly, she lifted her face. From the corner of his eye, he watched her looked up to the sky. He could not see her expression, only the sway and fall of pink strands as she moved her head backward. But he felt her move out of the shelter with slow small steps.

He listened. And closed his eyes.

_Damn it._ Frowning, he opened them again and at the same time, turned around to see her. He opened his mouth to call her name, but nothing came out.

_Wimp, _he heard a small voice whispered. Dark eyebrows made a straight line as he closed his mouth, ground his teeth and exhaled through his nose, aggravated.

With lids lowered over his eyes, he watched her.

Until she disappeared in a corner.

It was then he summoned the strength to say her name.

"Sakura."

He didn't move. He didn't know how long he stood there. Sakura was no longer in sight but he kept watching the place where she had been as if she was still there, standing.

There was a fork of lightning that illuminated the dark skies. He remembered, Sakura was frightened of lightning. There was a funny unsettling at the pit of his stomach. The uneasiness spread. Another lightning appeared, his frown deepened and—

"Hn." He spun and started to trudge in the direction of his apartment. Suddenly, he stopped. Frowning, he said. "Naruto."

"Sasuke." The blonde returned.

The frown turned into a scowl. "What do you want?" he asked impatiently.

"…"

He frowned at Naruto's expression of frustration and dread. "Naruto," he began, trying to stem his annoyance. "What do you want?"

Naruto heaved a deep heavy sigh.

"She's leaving."

Dark eyes blinked.

_Leaving._ The word sounded foreign to him.

_She's_ leaving.

The sentence was even more surprising. And now, there was a feeling of dread along with it.

He knew what Naruto meant. Nevertheless, he pretended. He denied. And he asked.

"Who's leaving?" he asked coolly. The blonde fumed, he saw and clenched his fists.

"You fucking well know _who _am talking about, you bastard."

_Right._ Of course, he _knew_. But he was denying the possibility. He was trying… _so hard_ to deny the truth. Even if he had to lie to himself.

Sakura and the word_ leaving_ did not go well together. She could not. She would not. She would not _even _try. She… _that_ girl belonged here. Nowhere else. There was no spring out there. No fields to dig herself in. No winter to bring the spring for her.

"Do I have to spell it out to you?" hissed Naruto. "Fine. _Sakura._ Sakura is leaving. Sakura-_chan._ Do you understand now? She's leaving and she's not coming back, is that what you want to hear?"

He was still trying, and trying – so _hard_ to understand.

Naruto frowned, almost sadly. "Sasuke—"

"What do you want me to do?" he asked calmly.

Naruto didn't answer for a long time. "Nothing." He answered finally. "Nothing at all." With that, he spun around and went off.

And he stood there, alone and quiet.

There was another fork of lightning.

The lightning. She's …_scared._ He can feel it. And he turned, letting the umbrella fall.

Later on, when he reached the gates and saw her back, he told himself— _again and again_— he did it, because she was a tiny girl who was scared of lightning.

Nothing else.

"Sakura."

The girl stopped in mid-step.

"Where are you going?" he made sure his voice was neutral.

_She's leaving._ The word echoed, ricocheting inside his head, making an annoying echo.

"Are you running away from me?"

Sakura slowly looked over her shoulder to meet his intense gaze. He was startled how composed she looked. _She's not scared._ Oddly, he felt a painful disappointment.

"No." Her voice was relaxed. He tried to suppress the mounting anxiety inside him.

"Then, where are you going?"

"Somewhere…" Sakura's voice sounded far away, like a fairy tale.

He was frowning now. "Were you ordered to go?"

Sakura took time to answer. "No."

"Sakura."

_That_ sounded… unfamiliar. He sounded… different. Not himself. _No._ He never use that _tone._ But, something went horribly wrong.

"I have to go."

He made a desperate step towards her and grabbed her bare arm. Under his palm, he felt an electric shock but he ignored it. _Static,_ he told himself.

Her bag fell from her grasp as she staggered back.

"_DON'T TOUCH ME_!" Sakura shrieked and with all his willpower, he suppressed the urge to wince. Truly, his control was the best out there. His face, he felt, didn't shift at all.

_Congrats, bastard._

"Sakura…"

She lifted a hand, palm facing him as he stepped forward. "Stop. Please."

He did and stared at her.

"Where are you going?" he tried again but she kept silent, her green eyes, despite of her anguish remained glowing, iridescent, like lost leaves. He exhaled, controlling his temper. _This girl…_ he mentally shook his head.

"It's late. And cold. Go home." He paused and struggled. "We have a mission tomorrow. Don't get sick. The team requires a medic-nin."

He saw her bit her lip. And then, her face hardened in a resolve, she reached down to her duffel and turned to the gap between the enormous gates.

He's now _scowling. _"Sakura—"

"I'm leaving."

"What the hell are you talking about?" _Damn you._

_You're making this difficult._

_You make things difficult for me._

Sakura shrugged. "Nothing that concerns you." She lifted a hand in a seal. Funny, he _panicked._ Afterwards, he felt pathetic.

"Sakura— no, _wait_." He saw her eyes flinched when his skin touched hers. His eyes didn't miss the way she recoiled and winced. Ah… his cursed skin against her innocent skin… Pure, pretty Sakura recoiling. So, she felt _contaminated_?

He felt betrayed. Pain turned into anger. No. He was trying to mask the pain with anger. _Fuck._

"Sasuke-san," Sakura sounded pained and he felt someone punched him in the gut. Sasuke…_san?_ He ignored the pang of pain.

"Go home."

"I have to tell you something."

Sakura shook her head. Her wet short wavy bangs covered one eye. "No. I have to go…"

He gripped her hand tighter. "Sakura, this is important." Oh how the mighty had fallen. He was close to _begging._

For a moment, Sakura seemed to reconsider but she looked at him straight in the eye and hardened her face. "I don't care! Let me go!" she tugged at her hand but he did not let go.

"Sakura, if you really want to leave. I won't stop you."

"Then, why are you here?"

_Indeed._

He had no answer on that one— at least, an _honest_ answer. He sighed instead. "I have to tell you something."

"Sasuke-san…"

A flicker of anger flashed in his eyes. "Don't call me _that_." He hid, _again, _a wince. Great. Not only he was good in controlling his temper, but he was developing a new talent. Hiding a wince.

_Great._

"Leave me alone!" Sakura demanded, pulling her hand. "Let… GO!"

"Not until you hear me out." He snapped.

"You are _so_ selfish! Cannot you tell that I don't want to listen?!"

Really, this girl had no idea how the famous adage worked: _words cut like a knife._ Sakura managed to free her hand and hurriedly turned to face the gates. But he's not someone who'd accept defeat that easily. One way or another, she'll listen. If he had to force her, so be it.

He had to tell her. He _had _to.

And so, he grabbed her shoulder and forced her to face him.

Anxiety spiked. And that _anxiety_ made him truthful. For once, for the first time in his life, he was honest _to himself_. He confessed:

_I'm hurt._ _You're hurting me. And that really hurts._

Which resulted in—

"Damn it! This is important!"

yelling.

Sakura was shocked, he could tell. And he could not blame her. He never yelled at her. Even when she's at the peak of annoying him.

Green eyes slowly lifted to meet his. "I told you… I don't care."

He sighed, frustrated. "You're… annoying."

After that, silence hung between them. Sakura broke it softly, like the way she broke his heart when she said:

"…goodbye." It was so soft that it made an illusion. But he gripped her shoulder as though gripping his sanity. And his pride. The reality.

"Why don't you even listen to me?"

"Sasuke…" the way she whispered his name made him look down to her face. Tears were flooding down her cheeks. He could not even tell if they were tears or the raindrops.

"Sakura! Listen to _me_—"

She smiled. Oh _god, _she smiled and he _wanted to smile back._ And suddenly, emotions were overflowing and he wanted to tell her everything, about the sunshine and the spring, about him… everything about him, how he felt about her, how scared he was, of _her_, of what she was capable to do to _him_, of losing the important things… everything.

He wanted to smile and say…

"I can't stay."

Dark eyes widened under the black bangs.

_Sakura._

"I can't stay… not anymore."

"Sakura." A view of his mouth, saying her name. Then, the hand on her shoulder tightening, clenching.

"I'm sorry."

He had to blink because his vision became cloudy. And he didn't know why. The rain was clouding his vision. Her face became a blur.

He blinked and his vision cleared.

Beautiful face. A sad beauty. Green eyes, pale hair. A face that he will always remember.

Sakura smiled. "Thank you."

_Poof._

Silence. His hand gripped air. The lower portion of his face was seen, wet locks covering his eyes. His mouth opened, closed then opened again. The jaw muscles twitched and he struggled again to speak.

He can't.

"SAKURA!"

He screamed.

-

-

"_Pleased to meet you! I am Sakura!"_

7 years later.

The sight of her was painful. He thought, the longer he looked, the more painful it got, and the sadder he felt.

_To feel sad even though I don't understand sadness._

But feelings were really like liquid, didn't they? They kept overflowing, tangling together until he cannot distinguish one emotion from another. They flowed everywhere yet they remained together. He wanted to bottle them up to control them, but the "bottle" broke and they went everywhere, flooding the "room" he had inside of him.

And so, he stopped looking. He dropped his gaze and looked somewhere else. However, he had looked enough to notice that her hair had grown long. The bangs she didn't have 7 years ago had grown down to her eyes. She changed, only _slightly_. She didn't grow in height. She remained thin, still pale and wide-eyed.

"W-well…" Sakura stammered. "… that's a nice name."

The little girl smiled widely. "It is! And to be named after my father's love," he felt her gaze as she looked up at him. "It's amazing! Anyway, how about you, Miss? What's _your_ name?"

He stiffened, his eyes widening slightly. And he knew that Sakura froze too.

"_Sakura-chan!_" Both girls looked toward the direction of the voice. It was Naruto. His daughter immediately perked up at the sight of the blonde. She loved that person dearly.

"Naruto-jichan!" the little girl waved with both arms. Naruto slowed down into a halt and smiled down at the girl.

"Sa-chan."

"Ji-chan!" she threw her arms around Naruto's middle. "I missed you, jichan!"

There was a discreet exchange of nods between him and Naruto. The blonde bent down, and picked her up, smiling softly. His gaze went past the child.

"Sakura…"

His jaw clenched. As well as his fists. Briefly, he closed his eyes and breathed.

"Yes?" the little girl asked eagerly. He heard Naruto sighed. It wasn't a good idea to name the child after the Cherry Blossom tree. Not now when _she _was present.

"Sa-chan, you're getting heavier, eh?" Naruto said. The girl pouted.

"No, I'm not!" the child said. "But look! _Look! _A woman with pink hair, she's pretty, isn't she?"

Naruto smiled softly. "Yeah…"

"Naruto…" He heard Sakura say softly. Almost at once, he felt his insides frozen up, his stomach clenched and his eyes dropped close.

An unbridled thought crossed his calm mind. How would it feel like to hear her say _his _name like that?

He'd have to keep guessing.

"Amazing…you also knew my Naruto-jichan?"

It was Naruto who answered. "The three of us…belonged to the same Genin team, the Team Kakashi." Naruto paused. "We are…the Team7."

Dark eyes opened and strayed toward Sakura.

The little girl's eyes widened. "Team 7…? The…Legendary Team Seven… My father, Naruto-jichan and…" the little girl's eyes lingered at Sakura. "…_you_." With a small intrigued frown, she stared at the pink-haired woman. "I remembered Iruka-sensei telling us during History classes that the female member of Team 7 was trained under Godaime-sama— and that girl is… _you_."

It felt like the world had stopped moving. That time stopped for _them_ as they stood around in a circle, separated by space, despair, hopes and pain.

The little girl looked around them, to her father then to her ji-chan and to the woman whose name she didn't know.

After a long silence, Naruto spoke. "It's been a long…long…" A pause. "…time, Sakura-chan."

"…!" The little girl's eyes widened slightly.

"…Naruto, I—" Sakura started but stopped when—

"Sakura." He saw her eyes widened as she turned to look at him in surprise. "I—" Impetuously, he stepped forward with a firm intent. A feeling consumed him. An uncontrollable urge. He wanted to tell her what he had failed to tell her seven years ago but a flashback stopped him:

_Live and let go, Sasuke_. Naruto told him seven years ago. _Live and let _her_ go._ _Let her live her life without you. Let her go and let her look for her happiness on her own._

_Naruto, I—_

_She has to be happy. With or without us. _Naruto paused. _With or without you._

He thought with realization: with or without me, her life will continue. With or without me, she can be happy.

_Live and let go. _Naruto repeated. _It's a big world. Somewhere out there, she'll find her happiness. _

Looking at her right now made him realize that he was not the one to provide _that_ happiness.

His tight fists loosened. He exhaled, lowered his face and stepped back quietly.

Live and let go.

_I'll set you free._

_You can be everything you wanted to be. And I'll just watch from behind._

"You… you don't mean HER?" the little girl said disbelievingly, looking at her quiet father.

No one spoke.

"Otou-chan? Say something!" the little girl demanded. His throat was dry but he tried…-_ very hard_— to speak as he looked down to the child.

"You're going to be late." He said quietly. "Your class will start soon. Let's go. I'll walk you to school."

"But…"

"This is something to be discussed privately between the _two_ of them." With his big hand, he took the girl's small one. But stubbornly, the child looked up to the woman.

"What's _your _name? Who are you?"

From the corner of his eye, he saw Sakura bit her bottom lip. "I…I…I'm…"

"…pink hair …green eyes …" the girl said slowly, her eyes never left Sakura's face. "…you _are_ Haruno… Sakura, aren't you? Godaime-sama's apprentice. Naruto-jichan's long time crush…"

Naruto stiffened.

"…and my Father's first and only love."

His chest was grating painfully. In realization, pain, humiliation and despair.

There was a poof and a flurry of petals swirled where Sakura previously stood.

"Sakura!" "Sakura-chan!"

"Shit." He snapped. "Naruto, inform Tsunade-sama about Sakura. I'm sure, she'll leave again." Naruto left in typical ninja way. With narrowed eyes, he watched the fluttering pink petals.

"Otou-chan, did you ever love _my_ mother? The woman who bore me?" the tiny voice below him made him sigh. "Okaa-san told me that you married her just to—" the girl continued with small shrugs of her tiny shoulders.

He frowned, interrupting her. "Your mother and I had reached an understanding. As a child, you should not have concerned yourself with complicated affairs."

"I know! I'm only seven but—"

"Sakura." That silenced her.

"I saw you cry one time."

He blinked in shock.

"Not a cry with sobbing and all— it's small tears. You had your hands on your face and you tugged at your hair like this." She demonstrated with her even black bangs. "Then, you stopped, sighed, worked and I stopped looking. You looked sad everyday."

_I looked… sad?_

"But you waited, didn't you?"

_("I can wait. Can you?")_

It wasNaruto's last statement seven years ago.

"…you waited for a very long time."

The corner of his mouth tugged upward in a small, discreet smile as he bowed his head. "Yes. I did."

"I love you, Otou-chan."

He smiled.

"And thank you for naming me after the person you waited for. I feel very special!"

"You are."

Little Sakura gave him another pretty smile. "I know." Her smile widened. "And I know that you weren't really my father."

-

-

_Tears of the cold, cold man_

_Touched an angel's heart_

_He looked but she turned away_

_She looked but he turned away_

_He thought she'll be there_

_She thought he never cared_

_He thought it's forever_

_She thought it's never_

_He believed in ever after_

_She believed in fairy tales_

_Together_

_In a tale_

_With no heading_

_Will there be happy ending_

_For the love _

_That has no beginning?_


	4. Sakura II

_Wishing upon a star_

_Dreaming about fairy tales_

_Please bring heaven to me_

_I'll be a good girl_

_Tell me what angels look like_

_Come to me with a star_

_And let me wish_

_For a happy ending_

_A reason to smile_

_To laugh_

_And to live_

_I don't want to let go_

_Let me wish_

_Upon a star_

-

--

-

**.Sakura II**

A poof broke the tranquil of the forest as Sakura stumbled after the teleportation technique. Pink petals glittered, fluttering as they fell around her in a soft drizzle. With her pale hand, she brushed the petals off her hair and dragged her tired feet across the clearing to a nearby oak tree.

Tiredly, the woman sat down, folding her legs beneath her. She placed the duffel beside her and looked up to the small circle formed by the branches where a soft dull sunlight filtered through. Sighing deeply, Sakura leaned back to the trunk and closed her eyes. She was very tired, from the long travel and from…

"…_I was named after my father's first and only love."_

…that ridiculous statement.

"_Pleased to meet you! I am Sakura!"_

Immediately, a voice inside her piped in. _Scratch it. It wasn't you._

"Yes. Of course."

'Sakura' was a popular girl's name after all. However, it didn't stop her from twitching and her heartbeat from rushing. Small shards of hopes pierced at her heart and something… _someone _was begging her to believe a little, hope a little.

"…_and my Father's first and only love."_

Frustrated, she squeezed her eyes shut and blocked out the sound.

_Someone… help me. _

Though the light was blinding, Sakura tried to look up with half-lidded eyes and allowed the sunlight to filter through the cracks of her lashes. The forest was serenely quiet with frequent sounds of crickets. Eventually, the light became too bright and she tilted her head down with a sigh.

_I gave up. I moved on. I won't let some child's words to sway my resolve._ She balled her little hands into fists. _The day I left was the day I finally moved on—_

Liar.

A voice sneered inside her.

It's a lie. And you know it.

She ground her teeth in frustration. _Shut up, you…_

"_I have to tell you something."_ She remembered the way he looked at her. His passive face, his monotonous tone.

"_Sakura, this is important."_

"I've got to stop thinking." She growled softly. The more she thought of it, the worst her headache became. Thinking about _that_ person was painful, remembering him was the worst. While traveling alone, she learned to live in the present. After all, she had to survive on her own. She became a wanderer, she even took teaching as a job while in Suna (she hid her chakra and identity from Gaara and his siblings).

She taught herself to live and let go.

She lived and let go.

Of course, in the beginning, it was difficult. Constantly, she thought of Sasuke. She missed Naruto, Kakashi, her friends and her mentor, the Godaime. But she realized, how would she grow up, live and let go if she constantly daydreamed? How would she move on from Sasuke if she constantly thought of him?

And thus, one day, she woke up— alone, cold and dazed, with one thought in mind.

_I will move on from you, Sasuke-kun._

She had smiled after that. And she kept smiling after that. Amazingly, she even developed a habit: she _consciously _forgot _Sasuke._ She _chose_ to forget him. In short, she pretended she didn't know him at all.

And life became simpler.

Or so, she thought.

The funny thing was, there were times when she began to cry… but she wasn't aware she _was._ Tears will quietly go down without her awareness.

_I have a "room" inside myself. I locked my heart inside and I thought I could sleep here forever. In here, I would not have to remember. As long as I'm here, I won't feel loneliness. I won't be hurt, even. _

_As long as I can sleep here forever…I wound not have to remember._

_And I will smile again._

And she did.

Her misery made her more beautiful and attracted attention from men. Several of them had fallen in love with her and they thought they can make her smile. A smile from her heart.

But she continued to smile, a practiced smile.

Then, one of them said: "I love you. But my feelings for you do not make me happy. It makes me miserable. It upsets me to remember you."

_And I remembered him._

"Sasuke-kun."

Sakura exhaled deeply and closed her eyes. In her mind's eye, she saw him, grim, unsmiling, detached. His eyes were distant and he looked like he had something to say.

_Sakura. I—_

But he stopped and there was look in his eyes that captured her. But they disappeared; he bent down his head and stepped back.

"…_I was named after my father's first and only love."_

Frustration made her eyes glistened with unshed tears. _I want to sleep forever. I want to stay inside that room forever._

_Where no one can hurt me._

_Where no one can reach me._

_Where no one can break me._

"I should have stayed away."

Her eyes fluttered close.

"…Sakura."

She felt a warm hand touched her shoulder.

"Sakura…"

She was tired, very tired. It was only in dreams where she could smile freely. She wasn't running away from Sasuke, or from Naruto. The confrontation at hand was something she didn't want to face. She was weary, at lost and confused.

The hand was shaking her.

"Stop…" she swatted the hand away lazily and snuggled comfortably against her duffel.

"Sakura."

She didn't move; only breathe as she slept under the shade of the tree with petals falling around her.

A sad, desperate voice was hardly heard.

"Do I have to wait for another seven years?"

"…"

"Tell me. I will."

-

--

-

Sasuke frowned. "How…did you find out?"

The child shrugged. "It's obvious. I don't have Sharingan. Your eyes are black. And Okaa-chan is not blue-eyed, is she?" She grinned playfully and Sasuke found it rather odd that she was being giddy and cutie about this.

"Sakura."

"I figured it out all by myself!" She added cheerfully. "I am such a cute girl!"

He sighed and squatted to level his height with hers. "Someone told you. Don't lie to me." The girl scratched her cheek, her smile stretching nervously. "Who told you? Was it your mother?"

"Noooo." The child said, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet.

A dark brow lifted.

The girl pouted and Sasuke hid a grimace. The girl pouted like her father.

"Okay, it's Okaa-chan." She finally gave in. "Ne, don't get mad at her!" she added, dark blue eyes like the sea rounded in anxiety.

"I'm not mad." He sighed. "When did she tell you?"

"During my seventh birthday." Which was three months ago.

"And…"

The girl looked up to his face with a small shrug. "It's okay." Sasuke frowned. "I don't know, maybe because…she told me why you married her. And that I was named after your most precious person. Okaa-chan was smiling prettily. She told me I should be a good girl and understand you. After all, you loved me like your own." She smiled. "She said: Sasuke-san sacrificed seven years to help us. So be a good girl."

Sasuke nodded and his lips curved in the corner. "Hn."

She grinned at him. And suddenly, he wished the other _Sakura_ would start smiling at him again.

"Did she tell you about who your _real _father is?"

She wrinkled her nose. "I asked her but she ended up crying. So, I didn't ask again."

Sasuke patted her head. "Good girl," he said and straightened up. "I'll walk you back to your school."

-

--

-

"_Why do you want to marry me?"_

"…"

"_Sasuke-san…"_

"_A child needs a father."_

"…_oh, yes. But the father…" her voice cracked and a tear fell from her eyes._

"…_is in love with someone else." Sasuke finished for her._

"_And will always love her."_

"…_Sasuke-san, you really don't have to do this."_

"_I know." He said. His voice was in monotone but not cold nor sharp. "I want to help you. I guess since Sakura left, I've become humane." He smirked bitterly. "Maybe THAT will impress her, you think?"_

_The woman smiled softly. _

"_Besides," he looked at her abdomen. "The child is somehow precious. After all, that child is his."_

"…"

"_Sasuke-san… she will come back, right?"_

"…"

"_I know she will. I can feel it."_

"…"

"_Are you tired of waiting?"_

"_No." He'll keep waiting. No matter how long it takes._

_She smiled._

"_While I wait, let me help you."_

-

--

-

"It's time."

Naruto's tanned handsome face darkened. Sakura-chan had come back after seven years. It's about time to get serious and face responsibility. He sighed sharply. It was a…mistake.

He bit his lip, blue eyes darkening. And now because of that mistake, he had lost his chance to be with the person he had loved most. Or maybe he had lost it many years ago… The moment Sasuke realized and sorted his feelings, it was the moment that Naruto lost it all.

It's time to step back, live and…let go.

And maybe…live and…look for other things to live for. Well, he would always love her. Maybe. Maybe not. Only time would tell. No matter how trite it sounded.

He took a step forward inside the Academy—

"Oi, Naruto,"

The blonde jounin looked around. "Oi,"

"Ojichan!" little Sakura waved at him happily. Naruto grinned at her.

"Have you informed the Hokage?" asked Sasuke.

"Yep and she was… well," he shrugged. "Shocked." That was an understatement. "It's all up to you now, teme."

"What are you doing here, ojichan?" the child asked curiously.

Naruto grinned. "I have to talk to someone." The child looked quizzical. "I have to talk to your mother."

Her eyes widened. "Why?"

"I have to pick a bone with her." He said, face dark.

"Huh?" an expression of confusion took hold of her face. Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

"Naruto." He called warningly, nodding at Sakura discreetly.

Naruto instantly picked up the message. His face quickly brightened up. "You know, sweetie, bones for Akamaru's babies!" the child blinked and grinned.

"Cool!"

Naruto grinned back. "Of course, honey."

Suddenly, the girl squealed. "OKAA-CHAN!!" she cried out happily, detached herself from Sasuke's hold and ran through the gates to her mother. The two ANBUs watched as the mother smiled and bent down to kiss her daughter.

"Naruto."

"Hm?" the blonde raised a brow curiously.

"She knows."

The yellow-haired ninja offered a blank look. "Knows what?"

Sasuke took time to answer. "That I'm NOT her real father." His voice was low and quiet. He waited for Naruto to explode but amazingly, the blonde only tensed up, scowled then there was a look of suppressed hope and sighed.

"And…?"

"She doesn't know who her real father is." Sasuke continued.

At once, a dark expression took over. "How did she know all of these?" he asked calmly.

Sasuke weighed his options but chose to tell the truth. Expecting a harsh response, he answered, "Her mother told her."

Expectedly, Naruto's face hardened. The blue eyes weren't cerulean but like the sky above Konoha but dark, like the violent sea. "She told her but didn't tell _me_?" he hissed. Uchiha lowered his gaze. "Maybe I should talk to the mother NOW." Naruto added, anger boiling beneath the calm exterior.

"Naruto—" Sasuke called. Naruto stopped halfway his stride and looked back to the Uchiha with a narrowed stare. The dark-haired ANBU frowned thoughtfully, ground his molars and shoved his fists inside his pockets.

"I'm sorry."

Naruto's eyebrows shot up. "Are you on drugs?"

Sasuke glared sharply.

The blonde motioned with his hands. "Alright, alright. Look, I didn't hate you." Uchiha raised an eyebrow. Naruto snorted and folded his arms behind his head. "Fine, I got angry at first. It was a natural thing. A reflex, right? But it wasn't your fault. You just wanted to help…her."

Sasuke ran a hand through his thick hair.

"You're a good asshole, a good bastard. Surprise, surprise. Nevertheless, you're a good asshole, a good bastard. And I like you – _a bit— _for that. Hey! Show some gratitude, you ass!"

Sasuke shrugged but he smirked. Understanding the expression, Naruto shrugged and lowered his arms.

"Whatever had happened, it was my fault. It was my responsibility." He added. "You took good care of the child, Sasuke. And I'm grateful, you know that right?" Naruto asked. Sasuke nodded, eyes looked unfocused, thinking… "And you didn't lie to me."

"I should have told you earlier." Sasuke began.

Naruto shrugged indifferently. "It was your decision. You had reasons for that, I believe. Being an Uchiha ape shit that you really are, I know you got a list of reasons to slap me in the face. And yet, you didn't."

"Just don't shout at her." Sasuke said quietly after a while.

Naruto grinned suddenly. "Look who's talking. _You_— don't shout at Sakura-chan, you hear?" He didn't miss the look that crossed the Uchiha's eyes. People will agree that Uchiha Sasuke was an amazing ice berg but they didn't know him that much. Even Sakura didn't know him that much.

"I talk to her. You talk to Sakura-chan. Let's fix our lives. Fix yours. I'll fix mine."

Sasuke's gaze became intense. "But you will always be in love with her, won't you?" It bothered him. The fact that Naruto loved Sakura. In front of him, the blonde tensed up. The cerulean eyes were dark; they were no longer the light shade of blue. Emotions clouded those eyes and Sasuke clenched his fists. Will Naruto take his everything from him? Ah. He had no everything. How could he lose something that never became his in the first place?

Plus, he had decided already, didn't he? When he saw her, he knew, he wasn't the one to provide the happiness she deserved.

"That's the fact. I will always love Sakura-chan."

Sasuke glared. Naruto returned the glare unflinchingly.

"You can't take _that_ away from me. I loved her first. You?" he snorted. "I don't even know when you started to love her. I don't even know if you DO love her at all."

Sasuke flinched, fists tightening. There was a look in his eyes that painfully tugged at Naruto's heart. A wince tugged at the blonde's face and instantly, he regretted the words that shoot out of his mouth. He opened his mouth to apologize but Sasuke spoke first.

"Don't worry. I won't do anything."

Naruto lifted a brow. "What do you mean?"

The dark-haired shrugged and smirked weakly. "She's… gone far away, Naruto."

Naruto blinked. "But…"

"She came back. That's what matters, right?"

"Yeah, but—"

"Did you see the way she looked at me?" Sasuke interrupted. Naruto blinked and shrugged. "Exactly. There was _nothing._ She didn't _even _look at me, Naruto."

"Don't be an idiot, you bastard! Of course, she _looked at you—_"

"Looking at me _and _seeing me are two different things."

Naruto's frown deepened. "I don't have any tiniest idea what the hell you are talking about. You complicate things. You're a cynic yet you want to believe. You're a non-believer but you _clung _to it. And you hide because you wanted to be found. You were found and you continue to hide. You said she's gone far, far away but you're not just stretching far enough! _God. _Who write your damn script?"

Sasuke grunted. "Whatever. Who write yours?"

"Blah! You and your philosophy bloody hell. Just talk to her and as much as possible, don't be a bloody ass. Be honest."

"Hn. For a change, your idea's not so stupid."

"Asshole."

They glared at each other. Both hearts wishing for the same desire.

"…"

But one has to let go.

"…"

Step back.

Live.

"I love her."

Sasuke wondered what planet Naruto came from. For the idiot to say such thing with blatant honesty was ridiculously amazing. Was it really that easy to say something like that to a girl like her?

"Maybe… I could not love someone as much as I've loved her. I cannot even say how much it was that I felt for her that I got inside me but it is there."

Let go.

Look forward.

"…but I've accepted the fact that I'm just one of those people who loved her. And you _are _the _only_ person that she could… at least be impossibly in love with."

"I wonder where you got that idea…" Sasuke said quietly. Naruto shrugged.

"I dunno. And I'm giving you a _chance _right now, asshole. Don't ruin it. Make most of it. Just one chance, Sasuke. That's all you've got." Naruto slapped a hand over Sasuke's shoulder. "I'll kick your ass some other time. Got a bone to pick."

Naruto grinned lopsidedly as he understood the other boy's silence. "And for some old fuck's sake, change your goddamned scripts!"

Sasuke gave a half-smile and half-smirk. "Dobe."

…stop wishing for an ever after.

"…you do deserve that, Sasuke."

Snort. "…and so are you."

_Make_ your own fairy tale.

And your own happy ever after.

-

--

-

"Sa-chan, honey."

The child looked up to Naruto. "…ji-chan?" The woman beside the child stiffened.

"Your mother and I have to talk."

"Eh?"

"In private, please." He gave the child another smile.

"Okay."

"Good girl. Now, kiss jichan in the cheek." Naruto said, grinning as he lowered his face. The girl giggled and gave him a sweet peck. After which, she joined her friends in the playground.

"So," he began icily, his demeanor changing abruptly. "Had a good time?"

"Naruto…"

"I think it's about time you tell me the truth, isn't it?" he hissed. "…you know, about _my_…child."

The woman trembled in fear.

"Do you think so…"

"…"

"…Hinata?"


End file.
